The environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on health and the economy

• Main Author: Leite, Rita de Cássia Neves
• Publication Date: 2023
• Other Authors: Guenther, Mariana
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Revista de Direito Econômico e Socioambiental
• Download full: https://periodicos.pucpr.br/direitoeconomico/article/view/29507
• topic: COVID-19; lockdown; atmospheric pollution; sustainable development; 2030 Agenda.; Covid-19; lockdown; poluição atmosférica; desenvolvimento sustentável; Agenda 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic required extreme sanitary measures to contain virus transmission, such as the lockdown adopted in many countries during outbreak periods. Such restrictive measures have fully changed human lives across the planet, affecting the environment and the global economy. In this study, we carried out a systematic literature review to analyze the pandemic environmental and economic impacts. Our results show that the lockdowns had a positive effect on the environment, especially through air quality improvements due to the reduction of pollutant gas emissions from industries and vehicles. These environmental changes affected the economy and the population’s health, leading us to think about the effects of our activities on the planet and the possible strategies to halt environmental degradation while preserving the economy, thus fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.